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The Saints have picked up two former Tulane players in as many weeks, bringing in former Green Wave center Christian Montano, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Montano was a college teammate of slot receiver Jalen McCleskey; both players weren’t picked during the 2020 NFL draft after turning pro, but recently participated in front of league scouts during Tulane’s 2021 pro day. That workout was conducted at the Saints team facility, so Montano must have made a strong impression. He’ll be returning for training camp later this summer.
Like McCleskey, Montano did spend the 2020 offseason with another team — he competed for a backup job with the Steelers last year, though his bid was ultimately unsuccessful. He offers some potential to New Orleans as a 6-foot-4, 300 pounder with plenty of collegiate starting experience behind him. Before moving to Tulane as a graduate transfer in 2019, Montano was a two-time All-Ivy League selection at Brown.
So how does he fit into the depth chart? The Saints interior line has just one sure starting job locked down, with Andrus Peat entrenched at left guard. Standout center Erik McCoy is expected to compete with Cesar Ruiz, last year’s first round pick, at both his natural position in the middle as well as right guard as New Orleans seeks to maximize both players’ skills. Look for Montano to push reserves Derrick Kelly and Calvin Throckmorton for a spot on the depth chart, though two of last year’s backups remain unsigned: Nick Easton and Will Clapp.
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